policies
Customer Service
I am absolutely committed to offering a superior customer service experience here at fannies,
and I very much appreciate your business! However, I want to be
entirely honest about the fact that I am a work-at-home mom, and this
necessarily requires a recognition of certain realities and boundaries
between my home and business lives. First and foremost, I am a mother
and wife. We have two young children at home (ages 3 and 1), and we're
expecting our third child next spring, which means I'm currently running
this show with a lot of nausea on the side. If you have a child in
diapers, or if you even remember what it's like to have small children
at home, I'm sure you can understand that I might take a day or two to
respond to your inquiries or to ship your order. Email is usually the
quickest way to reach me, since it's hard to answer calls with screaming
toddlers in the background; if you do call, please do so at a
reasonable hour, and please leave your phone number AND email address so
that I can get back to you more quickly. At 8:00 p.m., I'm dealing with
bedtime routines, not answering business calls, and if you contact me on the weekend, you probably won't hear back until Monday. That said, don't be surprised if I answer your email in the wee hours, as that's sometimes my only quiet time of the day! If you need a rush order, let me know and I'll do my absolute best to make it happen. Thanks in advance for respecting my family and me!
It's Easy Being Green
OK, so it's not always easy, but I do my best, within the limits of a web-based business that ships things to and fro all over the world. You'll notice when you receive a shipment that the products aren't usually in boxes (unless they're shipped in one). I save the money and trees by not ordering packages whenever the manufacturer makes it optional. I don't have a store, per se, though I do have boutique hours available for my local customers to stop by and see and touch and feel what I have in stock, so pretty boxes really seem unnecessary and wasteful. I also ship using Eco-Enclose biodegradable and reusable mailing supplies whenever possible.
Shipping
I try to ship within 1-2 business days of receipt of payment (business days = weekdays). Since I live in the UPS hub city of Louisville, that is my preferred method of shipping, but I sometimes ship via the U.S. Postal Service if UPS rates are too high. I use a flat-rate system to calculate shipping: $5 for orders up to $49.99, $10 for orders between $50 and $99.99, and free shipping for orders over $100. Sometimes, what you pay doesn't actually cover complete shipping costs, and sometimes, it's a little more than actual costs, but I feel like it's a fair system for everyone involved.
Returns
If you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact me to let me know what's happening. If the product is unwashed and new, I can generally work with you on a return or exchange, though return shipment will be at your expense (except in the case of an item defect). If there is a defect in workmanship that results in damage while a diaper is still under warranty, refer to the policy outlined below.
Warranties & Guarantees
Each manufacturer has different policies regarding guarantees against defects in workmanship. Most agree to replacement or repair within six months to a year of original purchase, but this is generally contingent on you having followed the MANUFACTURERS' instructions for care and laundering (which generally involves using detergents with no optical brighteners, enzymes, additives, etc.). If they say not to use laundry additives (like baking soda, vinegar, etc.) or diaper creams, DON'T, or else the warranty will generally be considered null and void. In some cases, if you have a problem with your diapers, I can exchange them directly. In others, I may ask you to contact the manufacturer directly to try and resolve an issue that is beyond my control as a retailer, since a lot of them like to hear directly from customers what kind of problems are cropping up along the way. I do my best to work with customers directly to address any issues with the products I sell.